Always Unwanted, Never Alone
by clarathesoufflegirl
Summary: When Éponine Thénardier discovers that she isn't her parents' daughter, she sets out to find her blood family. Along the way, she makes new friends, meets family, and maybe, just maybe, falls in love. Modern AU
1. When Your Whole World Shatters

**A/N: Okay, this is my first story, so no hate please :) I changed stuff (obviously), but even some side story things like how nice her parents are and yeah. Umm... I hope you enjoy it and tell me if you want longer chapters. R&R please!**

**Disclaimer: Actually, I do own Les Misérables... the movie. It's wicked. I cried soo much when Enjolras died, I swear my whole shirt was soaked. :'( **

* * *

**Paris, 1994**

The door shut quietly behind the doctor as he slowly made his way to where a man and his two year old son sat waiting. He was walking slowly because he dreaded the conversation they would have. How did one tell a man that his wife had passed away?

The nurse had just finished wrapping the baby in cloth when he heard an anguished cry come from outside. She hurried to the door and with one last look at the lifeless body of the beautiful women on the bed, left.

The man received the baby girl and held her in his arms. She was perfect, and looked exactly like her mother. A tiny little nose. Delicate hands. "Éponine. My wife loved that name. Éponine-" he was cut off as the baby cried and opened her eyes – and he gasped. Bright green eyes stared back at him Dazzling, vivid green eyes… unlike anyone in his family or his wife's. Quite frankly, unlike anyone he ever knew, except for… but it couldn't be. He remembered those lonely nights, hasty excuses, unexplained absences, and all those times he was away. The baby was not his.

Anger burst from him, and he pushed the girl back into the startled nurse's arms. "Take her away." Then, he turned around to leave, and beckoned to his son.

"Come, Marius."

* * *

In a quaint little town on the outskirts of Paris, Éponine Thénardier worked quietly. It was 3 o'clock, and her father was due back any moment, returning from another drunken night out with his gang. She made sure to stay out of her father's way when he was drunk-he might be an amazing father when he was sober, but he was a mean drunk.

The Thénadier stumbled into their Inn, reeking of mold and cheap beer. Shit. He was early.

"Who is this hussy?" he growled, catching sight of her.

"It's your brat Éponine, don't you know your own kid?" replied Guelemer, towering over the rest.

"Ha!" snarled Thénardier. Éponine ain't my kid. Not my kid, not my kid… he trailed off and lid to the floor in a drunken daze.

She froze-not his kid? What did he… oh. She felt sick, then angry. Her mother, always so caring and loving, had whored herself out. She knew that her parents had dangerous childhoods, but she couldn't believe that her mother would stoop as low as prostitution.

Éponine slammed the door and collapsed on her bed. She sat there as her father's words sank in. How her whole life was a lie. She wasn't her dad's little girl, she was just the unwanted by-product of a night out with some asshole who paid for her mother. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she made no move to wipe them. She fell to her bed with a sob, hoping that she would wake up, and this would turn out to be just a nightmare.

* * *

The sun was directly overhead by the time Éponine woke up. Her room was one of the suites on the second floor-it had a bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchen. The price, however, for such a nice room was working as the receptionist after school and during the weekends, leaving her no time for a social life. Not that she would have one anyways.

She groaned and sat up. Her eyes were red and puffy after crying, and her hair was a mess. As she finished getting ready, she decided to confront her mother about her parentage. She had calmed down, and other rational explanations circled through her mind. Maybe, she thought, her father was just rambling. Maybe this was all just some misunderstanding. Her mum would clear everything up, they'd laugh about how silly Éponine was, and this whole thing would blow over.

Really, she shouldn't have been so hopeful.

Just as she was about to open the door, a knock sounded, and Éponine found her mother standing on the other side. Her mother brushed past her and sat down on Éponine's bed, and patted the space beside her.

"We need to talk"

Éponine sank onto the mattress and waited for her mother to speak.

"I know that you heard what your father said last night," she started, "and I don't want you to worry. I know what you'll think-that I was a prostitute. After all, that's what you've grown up learning about from my childhood. You're wrong."

Éponine sighed in relief, glad that for once, her worst fears weren't true. Her mother's next words, however, made her blood freeze in her veins.

"You aren't my daughter, either."


	2. An Explanation

**DIsclaimer: If I owned Les Misérables, I would make sure there was some Enjonine going on. And that no one dies, but I don't, so I can't.**

* * *

Éponine's heart pounded against her rib cage, and every breath felt like a million daggers. Her mouth ran dry, and she blinked back tears. Her mother, seeing her expression, hastily attempted to explain herself.

"Not mine by blood, but I've raised you since you were a baby," she said. "You were the sweetest little girl. Always laughing, always talking."

Éponine took her mother's hand. "Please, tell me about my parents. How did you find me? What happened?"

Her mother took a deep breath and started speaking. "Your father and I were in Paris in 1994. We were still young, and we did reckless things. One day, you're father got hurt. were at the hospital, and I was panicking, so I was walking around to get some air while your father was in surgery. I saw a man telling someone to take you away, and he left." she stopped, her eyes welling up with tears. "I'm sorry, but it was clear that he didn't want you, and my heart broke. I waited a few days while your father was recovering, but the man didn't come back, so I went to ask the nurse if I could adopt you."

Éponine's felt her own eyes tearing up, and wiped at them furiously with the back of her hand. "They just let you adopt me?"

Her mother scoffed. "Of course not. The man came from a very influential family, and had sorted it out with the hospital, and paid tens of thousand of dollars to keep it all very hush-hush. I came back every day, and one day, they told me he had put you up for adoption."

Éponine nodded, wondering what had happened to make her biological father so determined to get rid of her. Something about her mother's words nagged at the back of her mind, and she quickly realized what it was. "You talk about him like you know who he is." she commented.

"Oh, yes" her mother replies, chuckling. I don't think there's anyone in Paris who doesn't know him. Éponine, your father is Georges Pontmercy"

Éponine's jaw dropped. "Are you telling me that my birth father is the MAYOR of Paris?" Her mother nodded. "To think I've been crushing on his son Marius for years," she muttered. "and it turns out he's my brother. Well, that's just...weird." She couldn't believe it. Her, a member of the Pontmercy-Gillenormand family? She didn't believe it.

The Pontmercys were what they called the _nouveau riche_; the mayor's grandfather had been very successful with a chain of hotels and resorts around the world, and his children and grandchildren had gone on to become famous entrepreneurs, bankers, and actors. Marius' paternal grandfather had British wife, and consequently, during a visit to England, his son, Marius' father, had been born with a dual French and British citizenship. Georges Pontmercy had gone to school in England, and after saving the life of a royal twice and being an important member of Parliament, he had been surprised with a life peerage during the New Year's Honours List. Unfortunately, his title wasn't recognized when he came back to France.

The Gillenormands, on the other hand, came from a long line of aristocrats and nobility. They could trace their family tree back to Charlemagne and King Louis VII. They were a proud family who held themselves above the common people, and believed wholeheartedly in the _Ancien Régime_. Many family members were politicians or lawyers, and as a whole, made a pretty terrifyingly powerful family. And Éponine was part of it.

She stood up and turned to her mother "I swear to god, if you're lying about this, please tell me now because this is is not even funny." Her mother didn't say anything, and without a word, Éponine left to clear her head.

* * *

Their hotel was situated in a small suburb called Montfermeil, a half hour's drive away from downtown Paris. Éponine's favourite place was the arboretum, a park with plenty of trees and shade. It's main feature was a dike running through the southeastern edge, splitting the arboretum in two. She sat there, swinging her legs, contemplating what her mother had said. She was the scion of two of the most powerful families in Paris, and here she was, living a quiet life in a tiny commune. She wondered what would happen if she went to look for them. Would they be surprised? Welcoming? Angry? Éponine knew that she had to stay quiet; if the press caught wind of the story, the carefully built reputation of the Pontmercys and Gillenormands would come crashing down. Howlong would it take for such a story to blow over? Three months, at least, and she would never again be out of the spotlight. With the upcoming elections, Mr Georges couldn't afford the negative publicity.

However, Éponine was going to university in Paris soon, and now that she knew, how long would it be before she spilled everything during one drunken night? It would be better to tell them about her before everything spiraled out of control. Yes, she decided. She would look for the Pontmercys as soon as she got to Paris, It would be safer that way. It was already a miracle that it was still a secret, seeing how her adoptive father could be greedy sometime and wouldn't have any qualms whatsoever in blackmailing the mayor, especially when he was drunk.

When Éponine got home, she found her sister Azelma working reception. "Thank god you're back," she sighed. "I'm crap at this. Apparently I'm not as 'charming' as you. Whatever. Where were you the entire day, anyways?"

"Out thinking." replied Éponine.

Azelma glared at her. "So now that you've gotten into the Paris-Sorbonne, you can shirk your duties and spend a whole day _thinking_? Do you think you're just much smarter than the rest of us? We're understaffed, and with you running off chasing some thought bubble, we've had to get Gavroche to wait tables! Father is gonna be mad at you, but then again, you're his little girl that changed his life, so he won't do anything!"

While her sister went on, Éponine studied her. She never bothered to before, because there was no reason. Now that Éponine knew that they weren't actually related, she started picking out their physical differences. Azelma had a longer nose, with slightly smaller eyes and redder lips. Her hair was a shade darker than Éponine's and where hers was highlighted from spending so much time in the sun, Azelma's was more voluminous and thick.

"Hello? Sis? Are you even listening to me?" Éponine blinked and saw her sister waving a hand in front of her face.

Éponine smiled apologetically. "Oh, sorry. Zoned out a bit there."

"What, thinking again?"asked Azelma sarcastically. "Look at 'Ponine the big braniac, with no time for us mere mortals!"

Éponine sighed. "I'm going to tell you something, but you have to promise not to tell anyone, okay?" Azelma nodded, and Éponine sat down to tell her the whole story.

* * *

**A/N: So now there's Éponine Pontmercy! YAY (but not really). Thanks for reading, I hope you guys like it!**


	3. God, the things people do

**A/N: So in case I confused y'all, Marius' dad is NOT 'Ponine's dad, but she doesn't know that. They do have the same mum, though.**

**So anyways, I'm depressed cuz this fanfic I read seemed all normal but then suddenly they die at the end. It was actually really depressing. So I decided to go update my story! Hope you enjoy! And please don't get mad since there's not Enjy yet. I need to get all the family stuff gone. He'll probably show up in 2 chapters. Maybe even the next one, if I'm impatient.**

**Disclaimer: Les Misérables and all of it's characters have never, do not, and will never belong to me. This just makes me even more depressed. I guess the only way to make Enjolras and Éponine canon is to find the Doctor, go back in time, and annoy Victor Hugo until he changes it. I'll let you know how that goes, kay?**

* * *

"I can do this. I can totally, definitely do this." Éponine took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Just a moment!" called a voice from inside. She heard footsteps coming towards her, and the door swung open to reveal a cute guy with brown hair. Éponine swallowed down her fear and quietly told him she was looking for Marius Pontmercy, and the boy asked her to wait on the couch. She sat down cautiously, taking in her surroundings. She was definitely out of her league. The apartment was large and spacious, and the furniture was obviously new and expensive. The boy shut the door and sat down on the couch opposite her.

"I'm Courfeyrac." he introduced. "Marius is at a lecture, but I'm sure he'll be back soon. We're roommates."

"Éponine Thénardier. Should I come back another time?" she asked.

Courfeyrac shook his head, and told her that his class ended soon and he'd be back in five minutes. "So, what brings you here? Not many people know where he lives. His grandfather made sure of that." He rolled his eyes. "The old man made sure of that. Monsieur Gillenormond is way too protective of Marius. We had to beg him not to hire bodyguards."

She laughed. "The fault is entirely yours, monsieur Courfeyrac." His bewildered expression made her laugh once more. "You see, I found out that you and Marius were rooming together, and apparently you have a... reputation around here." He blushed, and she continued with a smirk. "It wasn't all that hard to find a girl who you've brought home, monsieur."

Courfeyrac whistled. "Smart girl." he noted, and this time, it was Éponine's turn to blush. She was saved from replying by the door opening, and she turned to find the mayor's son walking into the room.

"Courf, I really hope you didn't bring a girl here already! It's only two o'clock!" he groaned.

"Nope this one's for you, Pontmercy. I'll go leave you two alone for now. Don't do anything I wouldn't." He winked and left. Éponine stood up and introduced herself, anxious. This was her brother, she thought. They were _related._

"I recently learned some news about my family, monsieur," she started. "I hope I'm not too blunt or anything, but I've decided that it would be best for you to know sooner rather than later. You see, I grew up outside of Paris, but my mother recently told me that I was born here, and that I was adopted."

Marius nodded, wondering where this was going. She couldn't know about the family secret, could she? It was the reason he had grown up with his grandparents instead of his father, who had been estranged from his wife's family. Of course, they had to keep up pretenses, so there were family outings, but Georges Pontmercy was no longer welcome in the Gillenormand household.

The girl continued, oblivious to the thoughts of her company. "She also said that... that the mayor was my father." Marius stilled, which Éponine noticed. "I'm sorry, monsieur, that's what my mother said. But everyone knows that your mother died of cancer in 1994, right? I mean, no one knew she was pregnant, so I can't be... related to you, can I? I was thinking about talking to your family about this, because I figured you would know, right? Monsieur?"

Marius thought quickly. So, it seemed, the girl did know their secret... and was claiming to be his sister. "I think you should talk to my grandfather, Miss Thénardier" He stood up, told her to follow him, and walked out the door.

* * *

Coufeyrac heard the door slam, and winced. "Leaving so early? What did you do this time, Marius?" He walked into the living room, but there was no one there. Ah, he thought, so they left together.

He had no clue about the life-changing events that were happening.

* * *

Éponine stepped out of Marius' car and gazed up at the grandiose house looming in front of her. There all in there, she thought. Answers. All the answers to her life were in there, and that was the only thing to keep her from running away.

A stern looking woman answered the door. Her face broke out into a smile when she saw Marius, whom she quickly ushered in. Éponine followed meekly. They were led to a study where a white-haired man sat hunched over his desk, furiously writing on a paper with the energy of a young boy. He glanced up from his work, and upon seeing his beloved grandson, stood up and hugged him.

Introductions were given and they sat down to discuss-or rather, the old monsieur Gillenormand talked while the younger generation listened, occasionally asking questions.

"So you're saying that Madame Pontmercy passed away while giving birth, and then the mayor realized that she cheated on him and that the baby wasn't actually his?" Éponine asked incredulously once Marius' grandfather's tale was done. " And, since no one actually _knew_ that she had been pregnant and the baby was already gone, you decided to tell everyone that she died of cancer to save face?" She ran her hand through her brown hair. "God, the things people do for their reputations!"

Monsieur Gillenormand winced at her harsh words, but nodded. "That's it, essentially, but there's also the fact that I did not approve of what Georges did. He had no right to give you away, seeing as he wasn't even the father. He was banned from our home and now, we only see each other during public meetings."

Éponine raised an eyebrow. "You believe that I'm your granddaughter?"

The old man gave a curt nod of his head. "Yes I do. You certainly look like my daughter, and DNA tests would prove it, but I believe you are my granddaughter."

Marius turned to her with a smile. "Welcome to the family, sis."

* * *

**More A/N: Just PM me if you've got any more questions, or leave a review or something. Please don't like, attack me.p, although I'll appreciate constructive criticism from you guys. THANKS :)**


	4. The Café Musain

**A/N: Sorryyyyy! I feel bad since I haven't updated in so long, but since it's summer vacation, I'll probably be updating more often now, since I don't have any homework. I have no clue how those daily updaters do it, it's exhausting! And there's Enjy in this, so I wanted to make it better. **

**The universities in Paris are really confusing, since they have like practically the same names. I'll give you guys a description about them in the next chapter, 'cause it works better that way, but yeah. Thanks for waiting!**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, nothing's changed since you last saw me. I haven't found the doctor yet, so I couldn't go and bully Victor Hugo, but I was thinking- I could just bring a copy of Les Mis to 1830s France, and then I'll have published it before Victor Hugo, and then it'll be MINE! But yah, it isn't yet.**

* * *

It turned out that Marius was actually a really nice person, if a bit of a dreamer. They spent the day walking around Paris getting to know each other, such as how he was a hopeless romantic who believed in love at first sight, or how Éponine was the oldest of 5 siblings.

She learned about Antoine de Courfeyrac, son of the multimillionnaire business mogul, who insists on being called only by his last name, for reasons as of yet unknown by his friends. Her half-brother told her about Courfeyrac's wild nighttime escapades, and the times that Marius had stumbled into their dorm late at night only to find his friend occupied with different girls. Éponine learned that he is a major player and flirt with a heart of gold underneath his shallow exterior.

Marius talked about _Les Amis de l'ABC, _the name given to their group of friends, with members from different universities, and the Café Musain on the rue Saint-Jacques which was their meeting place. He told her about their passionate leader, the avenging angel, who would stop at nothing to see the lower classes stand up for themselves. She listened to his stories wide eyed, hoping to meet these men.

Marius and Courfeyrac were both second year law students at the Pantheon-Assas University, only 200 meters away from where she was studying art history at the Paris-Sorbonne. When Marius heard this, an idea struck him.

"Hey, why don't you move in with us? We just bought the place, so we've got two empty rooms. I'd like to get to know you better, 'Ponine."

Éponine dropped her croissant in shock. She considered their offer. The Assas campus was close to her lecture building, the Institut d'Art et d'Archéologie, so it would be convenient. Marius, misinterpreting her silence for hesitation, quickly added "You don't have to pay rent or anything!"

Éponine's expression hardedned. "I can take care of myself, _monsieur_." she spat. "I don't need your charity."

He put his hands up in surrender. "I don't mean that, 'Ponine! It's just that, well, you're one of us now, and grandpère pays for everything. Besides, we haven't been there for you in the past; it's the least we can do.

Éponine sighed. It would be nice to room with someone she knew, and really, this arrangement was better for everybody. "Fine, but I'm going to pay for whatever I can, okay?"

* * *

It was a few weeks later when Éponine found herself in Les Amis' small café. Her first day at the Paris-Sorbonne had just ended, and she needed time to unwind, which the café was perfect for. It was a simple, very French building with beautiful paintings on a cream wall. There were flowers outside, and sunlight streamed through the large windows. The chairs were elegant and cushioned, which fit perfectly with the modern tables that were scattered throughout the café. The whole setup felt artistic and romantic.

The café was located very close to where Éponine had classes. The Institut was on the edge of the Jardin de Luxembourg. She had met a vivacious girl named Musichetta, who was one year older because she had taken a gap year, and the two had hit it off immediately. The lecture itself was extremely interesting, especially for someone like her who hadn't gone to a fancy lycée.

She had just gotten comfortable reading Vanity Fair with a café au lait and crepes when she felt a presence above her. He looks up to find a blond haired, blue eyed _god_ standing awkwardly beside her table. He looked to be around her age, perhaps even younger. Éponine raised Her eyebrow and he cleared his throat. " Would you mind I'd I sat here? Everywhere else is full, and you're alone, so..." It was true. In the time that she had been absorbed in her book, the café had filled up.

"Sure, definitely! I mean, it's no problem." She went back to her book as he sat down, but sneaked glances over the edge of the pages. He had taken out a stack of papers and was furiously covering it with red marks, probably correcting one of his friends' essay. She focused on her book, one of her favorites because of the female main characters, Becky Sharpe and Amelia Sedley, who were two sides of a coin. Éponine was extremely happy that she did not live in the 19th century, where the only hope for even an accomplished woman was to marry well into society. She was so entranced by the book that she forgot about the man sitting across from her.

The next time she glanced up, the guy was gone.

* * *

Courfeyrac walked with Marius towards the Café Musain to meet up with Éponine. Marius had told him the entire story, and he felt that Éponine had finally gotten part of what she deserved. In the weeks that she had lived with them, they had grown close, initially bonding over TV shows and favorite foods. He admired the girl for how she had worked hard to get to where she was, and how she didn't have the best childhood, yet still managed to stay happy and only let her experiences turn her into a better person. He knew never to sleep with her; Marius would be furious and he would probably be cast out of _Les Amis. _

They a few steps away from the café when they ran into Enjolras. He was muttering under his breath, likely in the midst of composing his next speech. Enjolras was a very gifted orator; his speechifying skills were better than any politician Courfeyrac had ever seen, and the fire and passion behind his words was enough to sway even the most stubborn of people. today, however, he was looking slightly frazzled.

"Bad day?" Courfeyrac asked. " I don't think I've ever seen you look this tired before, Enjolras."

Enjolras ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, a bit. My professors were just so wrong, and they didn't even let me speak. How could the ancient monarchies produce better leaders than the people? They grew up safe in their world of money and luxury, there was no way they could understand what the poor were going through. They may have been good for fighting, but what does that do? They win more land with the deaths of thousands of good men, all the while making people even poorer and letting them starve." Seeing Marius' expression, he scoffed. "Please, Marius, Napoleon was a just like them. 'Emperor of the French' is just another title. He was too busy fighting all of Europe to pay attention France, and he-"

Marius cut him off with a smile. "Save your words for the meeting tonight, Enjolras. I'm sure the rest of the group would be interested in listening to you."

Enjolras sighed and with a goodbye, left Marius and Courfeyrac. A few steps later, he turned and gave them a warning about the crowded café. "It's even worse than usual! I had to sit with someone else, so good luck finding a seat!" With that, he left.


	5. Les Amis de l'ABC

**A/N: So I've been trying to split my story into longer chapters, so I don't end up with a 90 chapter fic, by then my updates will probably be once every four days around, sometimes faster if I can. If you guys have any cute ideas you want me to add, just send me a PM with you prompt, kay? So if you have a craving for, say, complete fluff about swimming, then I'll try to add that.**

**Disclaimer: This is like, rubbing it into my face over and over again. It's like there's a constant voice saying that I don't own Led Miserables. I WISH I DID! Damn it, why can't Enjolras be MINEEE. Everything is Victor Hugo's and whoever owns the rights right now.**

* * *

Courfeyrac and Marius entered the cafe to find Éponine just about to leave. The two quickly ordered some pastries to go, and the trio went along their way back home. They took turns talking about their day, and Courfeyrac was in the middle of describing this one girl he saw when Marius' phone rang. He stepped away from the group and trailed along behind them, talking softly so that the other two wouldn't hear. Courfeyrac slung his arm around Éponine and sighed.

"You know, 'Ponine, there's tons of pretty girls in Paris, but I'll bet none of them are as beautiful as you." He winked at her, and she laughed.

"Courf, you're such a flirt, but thank you. I'm guessing that of all the charming boys in the city, none are as charismatic as you, right?" she teased him. "Hmm, we're such an awesome pair, aren't we?"

The boy smiled. "Why yes, mademoiselle, we are. Unfortunately, I will have to disagree with you on your earlier point. I'm sure you wouldn't think me charming at all if you met Enjolras. He'd be able to sway you into eating," he gasped, "Raspberries!"

Éponine made a disgusted face and shuddered. "No way. There is no one on earth who could get me to eat raspberries. I'd like to see him try!" They laughed and linked arms just as Marius rushed back.

"That was grandpère, 'Ponine. He wants us to go to the hospital next week for the DNA tests, okay?"

Éponine nodded sadly. As much as she already felt like part of the family, she had to remind herself that nothing was official yet. She still had to get a DNA test to prove that she was a Gillenormand.

The trio stepped into the apartment, and Éponine flopped down onto the couch. "Ungh," she groaned. "How could sitting in a room all day hurt this much?"

Courfeyrac sat down beside her and stretched. "You know, I could always massage you."

From somewhere in the kitchen, there was a clang and the sound of pans rattling. "You'd better not be flirting with my sister or I swear to god you'll regret it!" came a shout. Courfeyrac chuckled.

"You're brother's very protective of you, 'Ponine" he told her, looking down at her form sprawled across the couch.

Éponine rolled her eyes."I know. He thinks I'm a damsel in distress, but I've seen a lot worse than you, monsieur. If anything, I should be the one protecting my brother from himself!" As if to prove her point, there was a clatter in the kitchen, followed by an "Ouch!". Marius came stumbling out, cradling his arm while hopping on one foot. He smiled sheepishly.

'Ponine... I think I just broke my foot- and maybe my arm." Éponine sighed, sat up, and patted the empty space beside her. Marius lowered himself on the couch, and she poked and prodded at him. "Ow! What are you doing? Pony, that hurts!" At his last sentence, Éponine looked up and glared at him.

"Don't call me that, Pontmercy. Ever again." She smirked when Marius gulped, and continued with her examination. At last, she declared that he was just bruised and that he would be fine. Courfeyrac sat through the entire thing, barely stifling his laughter.

"Now that we know Marius isn't injured, how about some Game of Thrones? We've got just enough time before Marius and I have a meeting for _Les Amis_."

Éponine nodded eagerly, then bit down on her lower lip shyly. "Do you think I could go with you? You guys always talk about your group, so I'd really like to meet them."

Marius had stopped rubbing his arm, and a thoughtful look came over his face. "You know," he said, "that's a great idea. How come we haven't thought of it?" He smile warmly at her.

"Because you guys are idiots, that's why." she replied teasingly.

* * *

She walked into the café for the second time that day, but the atmosphere in the room was completely different. Instead of romantic, it now felt energized and hopeful. The room was occupied by one group who had rearranged everything so that the tables formed one giant one in the middle, and the chairs were placed around it. Six boys sat and chatted with one another; it was a picturesque image of camaraderie and brotherhood. Éponine felt a pang in her heart-she had never had this kind of friendship back in Montfermeil. Well, she'd never really had _any_ kind of friendship, as she had spent most of her time at her family's hotel.

One boy bounded over to the door. "Courf!" he greeted cheerfully, hugging the man in question. "Who's the lucky lady?" He turned to her and quirked up an eyebrow.

"I'm Éponine. I'm Marius'... friend." She stuck out her hand for a hand shake, which the boy completely disregarded, going for a hug.

I'm Jean Prouvaire. Actually, I prefer Jehan, because it just sounds so much more romantic, doesn't it?" He asked with a wisty gaze. "I'm a poet. Or rather, I want to be one. I'm in third year Literature at the Paris Sorbonne."

Éponine smiled. "I'm a Paris-Sorbonnist also! First year art history. It's nice to meet, you, Jehan."

One by one, the other boys walked over and introduced themselves.

"Bahorel, Jérôme Bahorel." He laughed boisterously. "I'm a fighter. Met these lads one day when I got into a fight with Lesgle over there." The tipped his head to a slightly balding figure. "Unlucky fellow."

The man in question was next, dragging another Amis with him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Éponine. I'm Lesgle, but these guys call me Bossuet. This is Joly, our resident hypochondriac and and astraphobic. He's studying pre-med at the Paris-Descartes University, and I'm in fourth year law at the Panthéon-Assas, which is where I met Courfeyrac and Marius."

There was also Feuilly, who had started his own fan-making business, for which he got accepted and graduated from the Panthéon-Sorbonne with a major in business. Combeferre was a studious man who frequently quoted Voltaire or his personal favourite, Condorcet. He had gone to the École Polytechnique studying philosophy, but transferred to study pre-med at the Pierre-et-Marie-Curie University after he realized he didn't like their way of teaching.

She sat down with the boys and listened intently to their conversation. She noticed a man sitting in the shadows beside the bar, so she turned around and asked Courfeyrac about him.

"That's Grantaire. He's a film student at the Sorbonne-Nouvelle, but he's usually here to annoy Enjolras. I swear, that kid's got a death wish."

Éponine glanced at the man, then focused back on Courfeyrac. "Where is you esteemed leader, anyways? From everything you guys told me, I gathered that he was the kind to show up half an hour early, not late."

"Oh, he's usually way early, but he's been having a bad day today. He should be here soon. Say, you should talk to Grantaire. I think you'll like him."

She stalked over to the boy by the bar. "Monsieur, wouldn't you rather be with your friends than sitting here drunk?" she asked.

He grinned. "I'm not drunk, just intoxicated by you, mademoiselle." Éponine laughed and sat down beside him. He really was rather handsome, in a boyish and vulnerable way. He had curly black hair to his ears and a soft smile.

"That wasn't very good. Nice try though."

"Well, a man can dream, can't he? I know I do, especially about pretty girls like you." he shot back. "I'm Grantaire, but you can call me R."

"Éponine. I would by you another drink, but then I'd be jealous of the glass." she smirked. Grantaire erupted into laughter, which drew the attention of the rest of_ Les Amis_. They beckoned the pair over to join them. They slipped in beside the group and ordered their drinks.

Bahorel grinned. "We heard you guys talking over there. I must say, those aren't the strangest pick-up lines I've heard. As a bartender, trust me. I overhear a lot of crazy things."

Éponine leaned back on her chair and took a sip from her glass. "I bet I've heard worse."

"You're on"

* * *

Enjolras rubbed his eyes as he walked into the dimly lit café. Laughter floated through the air, a combination of the raucous of his friends and a tinkling laughter that could only belong to a girl.

"And he came up to her after staring at her the whole night, and was like 'If this bar was a meat shop, you must be the prime rib'" chuckled Bossuet."And she was replied 'Oh, really? Well, if this bar was a meat shop, you'd be the beer-marinated pork chop', and threw the drink at him." he coughed uncomfortably. "But of course, she missed and threw it in my face instead." The group burst into laughter again. Enjolras rolled his eyes. His friends were discussing pick-up lines instead of working on their newest cause. He looked around and saw a girl with her back to him.

Feuilly brushed his hair out of his eyes and turned to her. "There was this really cute one that I heard a few weeks back. Is your father a thief? Because he stole all of the stars and put them in your eyes." The girl stiffened, and Enjolras could feel how uncomfortable she was.

"That's not funny. What if her father had actually been a thief and was now in jail? How do you think she would've felt?" There was something familiar about her voice. She took a deep breath. "Um, I-I have to go, but it was lovely meeting you all. She rushed out of the room, brushing past him as she went.

"'Ponine! Wait!" Courfeyrac made a move to follow her, but stopped when he saw the man in the doorway. "Enjolras! Do my eyes deceive me? Is our always punctual leader late to a meeting?" Courfeyrac. "Come on then! You just missed Éponine."

Enjolras shot him an icy glare. "I can see that you've decided that the matter of education and tuition is not as important as how to pick up girls. I may have been late, but I expect each of you to be working hard instead of playing around with girls. Am I the only one here who attempts to change things?"

"Oh, get off your high horse, Enjolras. Whether they work or not while you aren't here doesn't reflect on how much they care." slurred Grantaire. "They just wanted to relax for a while, away from your scrutinizing gaze. Honestly, learn to loosen up!"

The boys cheered. "Hear, hear! Loosen up, Enjolras!"

Enjolras exhaled. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

** A/N: Okay, second part of my notes. This is about the universities.**

**In the 1970s, one of the universities in Paris, the University of Paris, split into 13 different universities, so each of them took over for different faculties of the old University of Paris. Most of the campuses are around the Latin Quarter of Paris, so the café that Les Amis meet at is around there. Some of the names of the different universities are really similar, like the Panthéon-Assas, the Panthéon-Sorbonne, and the Paris-Sorbonne, but they're different universities. Got it? All of Les Amis' campuses are around there, and they all go to one of the University of Paris universities except for Enjolras, who goes to the École normale superieure.**

**Thanks for waiting! **


	6. A Family Affair

**A/N: I don't know how this ended up being so late! I'm so sorry! At least you guys get a little E/É scene in here.**

* * *

Éponine woke to the sound of laughter and drunken singing outside. A door slammed shut, and the voices quieted until there was only some soft mumbling and a thump. The door creaked open and light spilled into her room. Éponine yawned and sat up in her bed, watching warily as the figure silhouetted in the doorway moved towards her. She winced as the lights turned on, and Courfeyrac sat down lightly on her bed beside her.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "You ran out pretty early. Is it what Feuilly said?"

Éponine quickly brushed through her hair with her fingers. "No. I was just feeling sick for a moment." she lied. "I'm fine now, though."

"'Don't lie to me, 'Ponine." Courfeyrac grasped her hand tightly. "Anything you want to say, you can tell me."

She took a deep breath, shook her head, and promptly burst into tears. "My father... well, let's just say that Feuilly's particular pick up line hit a tad too close to home." Courfeyrac rubbed her back reassuringly, hoping to relax the girl. "I think it started when Azelma was born." she started. "My father started drinking more after he met this gang. They would go out a lot and come home drunk. I didn't understand what was happening, just that my father would always come home with pretty trinkets for me. I thought everything was fine." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Did something happen?" asked her friend.

Éponine nodded. "He was caught once, a few years after Gavroche was born, by a rich gentleman. The rest of his gang had to 'pull a few strings' to get him out." she snorted. "More likely threatened the poor guy until he was scared out of his wits. Well, after that, he apparently had an 'epiphany' and quit drinking. In daylight, at least, though he would come home piss drunk at night. He's fine now, really, but I'm always afraid he's going to return to that lifestyle, and then he... he won't be my papa anymore." She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Enough about me. How was your evening?

Courfeyrac pondered for a while before giving her a simple reply. "It was normal. Enjolras yelled at us, got into a fight with Grantaire, and then everyone else got drunk. Well, Marius just fell onto the couch, so watch out for him when you wake up. Grantaire lives in the the apartment down the hall, and Enjolras and Combeferre share an apartment on the 5th floor, so if you're ever looking for us, we'd probably be there."He glanced at the girl beside him before realizing that she was already fast asleep. "Or you could just go to sleep." Courfeyrac stayed there for a few minutes, then whispered a quick "goodnight." He extricated himself, laid her down on her bed, and shut the door behind him as he left.

* * *

"You just have to take this swab and swipe it inside your cheek, dearie." The kind nurse held ou the item, which Éponine gingerly took from her hand. She did as the lady instructed and removed it, placing the cotton swb into the bag the nurse held out. "We'll just go run some tests on it with that young man's, and we'll get right back to you guys after we get the results. You darlings wait here for a bit."

Éponine sat down in a big armchair in the corner of the white, spotless room, with Marius following suite. The clock ticked by slowly, and she was getting extremely bored.

"So about this DNA test..." she said to Marius, "Don't the results usually come after a few days?"

Marius looked up from the magazine he as reading (Marie Claire Idées). "Oh yeah, um, usually they do, but grandpère wanted to get it done as soon as possible, so he made sure to find a fast one." He went back to his magazine, and actually seemed quite into it. Éponine sighed and lounged in her chair, picking at the lint on her sweater. She flipped through a few magazines, tried sleeping, and ended up quietly humming when the nurse came back. They sat up straight (Marius hid his magazine with a blush), and waited for the nurse to speak.

"Well, Monsieur Pontmercy, according to our results, we are 99.99% sure that Mademoiselle Éponine here shares 25% of your DNA. Congratulations on finding your sister." she smiled, and Marius jumped up and hugged his half-sister.

"Wow, 'Ponine! Would this be a good time to mention that grandpère invited you to a family dinner tonight?" he asked sheepishly and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Marius! You couldn't tell me earlier?" She glanced down at her outfit and frantically tried to comb out the knots in her hair and the fuzz on her sweater.

"No?" Marius answered. "Besides, grandpère wanted to wait for the DNA results to come back so that we're all certain. It's not my fault!" He shrugged.

Éponine sighed. "I know. I just hope I don't leave a bad impression on your aunt. Is your father going to be there?"

Marius visibly stiffened and shook his head. "No, but he's sometimes there when we have company. I'm pretty sure that today's only us four. It'll be fine, 'Ponine. Trust me"

Éponine huffed. "It's not like I would miss it. Come on, brother. Let's face the rest of your family, shall we?"

* * *

"I hope you don't mind that we've invited the Enjolras family as well." said Monsieur Gillenormand the second they walked in the door. "We haven't seen them in a long time"

Éponine's curiosity piqued at the revelation. So the Gillenormands and the Enjolras' were family friends. She had not yet met the man, as the week had been full of near-misses, and she was anxious to meet the elusive man everyone praised. Just then, a handsome man entered the room followed by Marius' aunt.

"Théodule! greeted the old man. "Why, I haven't seen you in ages! Did you grow a mustache?"

The young man only laughed. "Uncle, that's because I've been stationed at Melun for the past few years. We're being transferred to Gaillon, and as we were passing through Paris, I decided to come visit." he turned to Éponine. "Who's this?"

"This is your cousin Éponine, Marius' half-sister." replied her grandfather. "Éponine, this is my great-grand-nephew, Théodule Gillenormand." She nodded and smiled at him in acknowledgement. The group moved to the parlor while they waited for their other guests to arrive. A few minutes later, the butler appeared with the announcement that the Enjolras' had arrived.

A middle-aged gentleman entered first. He was tall and intimidating, with close-cropped blond hair. His wife was a delicate woman who's hair hung in gentle curls down her back. She seemed kind and motherly, yet had a stern air around her. Éponine assumed that the last person who entered was their son. He too had blond hair, and was tall like his father but slim like his mother. She stared at him for a while longer before she realized that it was the boy from the café.

When his gaze reached hers, Éponine saw his eyes widen slightly. She could see the confusion and recognition in his eyes, wondering why she was here. Once again, Monsieur Gillenormand made introductions.

"Charles! It's nice to see you again. You may not have met my great-grand-nephew Théodule yet, or my granddaughter Éponine." Her head snapped up at his words. "Children, this is Charles Enjolras, Marie Beaufort Enjolras, and their son Gabriel." They shook hands and followed the butler to the dining room. She walked alongside her grandfather, intending to ask him about his words.

"Monsieur, are you sure you want to announce that I am your granddaughter?" she asked, knowing the implications that such an announcement would present. If the news reached the public, they would go crazy, and the carefully built reputation of his family would be shattered.

"Only in close circles, my child. Marie was a great friend of your mother's, and already knows about you. It's nothing to worry about." consoled Monsieur Gillenormand.

Éponine shrugged her shoulders and stared at the grandiosity of the dining room and table. Marius motioned for her to sit next to him and she scurried to her place at the table. As they took their seats, Éponine's eyes widened and she furrowed her eyebrows. What were all of these utensils? There were two forks to the left of the dinner plate and two knives and spoons to the right. A bowl was placed on top of the plate with a small fork and spoon above and perpendicular to the rest of the cutler. There were four different glasses above and to the right, and a smaller plate with a knife above to the left. Éponine's head was reeling. Did you start from the outside or inside? She coughed uncomfortably as she tried to figure out the proper way to use everything.

"Start from the outside," whispered a smooth voice from her right. She turned to find Gabriel Enjolras facing her with a slight smile on his face. "You start from the outside and work your way in."

"I know that." she snapped at him, embarrassed. Was it really so easy to see that she had never done this before? He raised his eyebrow at her statement, and her cheeks reddened. "I mean, thank you."

He tipped his head to her. "You're welcome."

She turned back to her place setting and stared blankly at the rest of the setup. Was the smaller plate for scraps? Bread? Dessert? And what was the little fork and spoon for? She stared for a moment longer, sighed, swallowed her pride, and turned to the man beside her. "I need help." she blurted out quietly. He chuckled and leaned back in his chair.

"The largest glass is for water; the next, for red wine. The smallest is for white wine, and the tall flute is for champagne." Éponine drank in the information, committing it all to memory. "The smaller plate is for bread, the tiny fork and spoon is for dessert, and the weirdly shaped knife is for fish. Got it?"

"Yeah, I think so. Thanks a lot, monsieur."

"It was the least I could do, after you kindly allowed me to share your table at the Musain. And please, call me Enjolras." he said.

Éponine tilted her head. "Ah, yes, I heard that your little group preferred being called by their last names. Doesn't that get confusing when you're with your family?"

Enjolras laughed. "Perhaps it would, for most families, but my parents have already grown accustomed to calling me Enjolras. I wouldn't respond to anything else when I was younger." They were interrupted by the servers butler serving their appetizers. They each turned back to their own plate and ate quietly.

"I heard you were attending the Panthéon-Assas university," Théodule was saying to Marius."I take it you aren't going to be serving your country as a soldier?"

Marius scoffed. "I have no desire to be a soldier like you, Théo."

"Actually, I'm a Lieutenant now, _Mari_, so you wouldn't be like me." replied the man with a strained smile.

The other conversations in the room stopped with Théo's words. "Lieutenant!" exclaimed Aunt Gillenormand "Why, Théodule, you should've told us. We would've gone out to celebrate!"

"I told you not to call me that!" whined Marius in response to his cousin's nickname for him. "It sounds like a girl name."

Éponine laughed. "That's because it _is_ a girl name, brother." From the corner of her eye, she saw Enjolras' eyebrows shoot up. _Whoops. _She took a sip of the red wine that the servers had kindly filled for her. "Enjolras, your eyebrows are in danger of getting lost in your hair. Don't look so surprised." she said in a lowered voice.

"Last time I heard, Marius was an only child. It seems strange that he has a new adult sibling within weeks." he pointed out.

"It's a long story," replied Éponine, "One that you should talk to Marius or my grandfather about. Or your mother, honestly. And if they ask, I'm fine with it."

Enjolras looked at her quizzically "And the reason you cannot explain the story is..." he prompted.

"Because I'm tired of telling it, and I'm not exactly sure I know everything yet." she answered. "So, cousin, tell us about life in the barracks! Is it as daunting as they say?" called Éponine loudly to change topics.

Théodule looked up, startled, then smiled at her. "I'm glad you asked. Well, there's not much to do law enforcement wise. We've been training at a center and it's really hard work. We wake up early in the mornings and train until late at night. It's very tough." He twirled his mustache a bit before continuing. "Although, I do think that I'm doing well. I did get promoted, after all. I skipped two ranks, went straight from sergeant major to Lieutenant. I think it has to do with my schooling at the École Militaire. You know, Napoleon Bonaparte himself went there."

This piece of news captured Marius' attention. "Napoleon attended?" he asked incredulously.

Théodule smirked. "Yes, and there are many monuments dedicated to him there. It's a pity that you won't be able to see them." He then turned his attention to Éponine. "Which school do you attend?"

"The Paris-Sorbonne, where I'm studying art history to be a museum curator." she responded.

Théodore sighed. "Another public university. Really, you ought to have higher aspirations than that, cousins."

"There's nothing wrong with studying at a public research university." defended Enjolras.

"And which university are you a student of? Panthéon-Sorbonne? snickered Théodore. Éponine narrowed her eyes. She never did like vain and pompous idiots, and her cousin was getting on her nerves.

"I go to the École normale Supérieure." Théodore's mouth dropped open and Marius just smiled smugly.

Éponine whipped her head around in shock. "But-what- how _old_ are you?" she asked. Her mind quickly worked through the math. He would have gone to two or more years of _classes_ _prépas_, which would make him at least...

"Twenty-two." said Enjolras.

"Wow." breathed Éponine disbelievingly. "You look so much younger! I mean, I thought you were younger than me when I first saw you."

He smiled. "Yes, people do say that a lot."

Monsieur Gillenormand signaled the end of dinner by placing his napkin on the table. Waiters appeared with tea, and Éponine followed the rest of the ladies to a separate room when Marius instructed her to do so. Aunt Gillenormand and Madame Enjolras chatted amicably, leaving Éponine flipping through some magazines and staring at the artwork hanging on the walls. She was drawn out of her reverie by a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Madame Enjolras smiling down at her kindly.

"I'm so glad that you found your family again, and I'm sure Cécile is too. You look so much like her, like your mother, when she was younger. If you ever want to know anything about her feel free to call me or drop by. Now, it's getting late. We'd better get going."

Éponine had not noticed the men join them. The Enjolras' grabbed their coats and hats, thanked their host, and left, leaving Éponine to watch as they disappeared into the distance.


	7. Montparnasse

**A/N: Omigod I am so sorry about how late this came out! I have absolutely no excuse except for writer's block, which is never really an excuse. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter even though it's shorter than I wanted it to be. Also, thanks for not leaving me!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. All rights go to the amazing brain of Victor Hugo**

* * *

Éponine fell into an easy routine. On the weekends, she would join Marius and Courfeyrac on various outings, and attend the weekly family dinners. Often, Les Amis would have a rally or protest planned, which she would tag along to. On the weekdays, she had her university classes, and in the interim, she would sometimes follow her brother and his friend to the meetings of Les Amis de l'ABC. She was content to watch and learn in the back of the room while the students preached about the problems of the world and how they were going to fix it. Éponine had noticed that Enjolras was in favour of big gestures, sudden and abrupt changes. Combeferre would be the one to point out the faults in his chief's ideas, and always suggested a more practical course that would slowly build them support. Enjolras would be the kind to rush into something big like, say, a revolution, and talk to and about the people as a group, whereas Combeferre would try to reach out to each and every man and convert their views by talking of subjects they had a connection to, and could understand. He believed that by changing one man at a time, you could change mankind.

When the seriousness of the meeting was gone, and the planning and speechifying was over, then it was Courfeyrac's time to shine. He was the liveliest, loudest one of them all. He brought everyone together and exuded a warmth that invited you in. He was like the center. Yes, mused Éponine, the chief, the guide, and the center. There was no one better suited for each role, and perhaps that was what made Les Amis such a formidable group.

Other than these nightly meetings, she would take walks and explore around the sixth and seventh arrondissements or in the Jardin de Luxembourg. Her favourite spots were the previously mentioned gardens, and the silent cemeteries. It was in one of these churchyards where she met Montparnasse.

She was sitting on an intricately carved marble bench along the pathway around the burial ground, sketching the view in front of her, wasting time until she had to meet her brother and Courfeyrac at the movies. Smooth stone jutted out from the earth in rows. Towering monoliths loomed over the smaller headstones, and mausoleums dotted the edges of the graveyard. Some would think it a morbid scene, but to Éponine, it was just another calm place. Death was inevitable, so why shy away from it?

"This would usually be the time when I ask you to move over," drawled a voice from above her, "but I'm not one to be rude to beautiful girls."

Éponine squinted into the setting sun as she looked up, where a tall young man was standing. "Hello," she said politely. "I'm sorry, but did you want to sit here?" She set down her art and slid to the side of the bench, and the young man sat down beside her. He was dressed in varying shades of gray and black with a brightly coloured scarf. The man pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered her one, to which she declined. "I don't smoke." she explained to him, waving away the box.

He nodded. "You shouldn't." he advised, lighting his cigarette. "Nasty habit. I've tried quitting myself, but it's just too damn tempting." He inhaled, then blew out a puff of smoke. "So, who are you visiting? Grandparents?"

Éponine's eyes widened. "Oh, no." she shook her head. "I'm just here to draw." She picked up her supplies as if to prove her point, earning a chuckle from the mysterious stranger. His hair was a sort of inky black, not unlike the colour of the asphaltum that Éponine had seen bubbling up from the La Brea Tar Pits back when her family had time and money to go on vacation.

"Art student?" He questioned, leaning back on the wrought-iron fence surrounding the cemetery. His voice snapped her out of her reverie.

"Art history," she corrected him, "though I do draw."

He took her sketchbook and flipped through the thick textured sheets, smiling at certain pages. "Éponine. Is there a last name I can associate with that?" he asked after reading her signature in the corner of the sheet.

She shrugged as she thought about it. "It's sort of complicated." she told him. "I'm not actually too sure. He didn't push further into the matter, just raised a quizzical brow before introducing himself. "I, too, don't have a name. Well, not one that I'd like to be known as. My friends call me Montparnasse."

Éponine furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Montparnasse as in the neighborhood and the cemetery? What, did your family buy everything and name it?" she scoffed. She looked him over. Threadbare clothing that looked well worn, scuffed shoes and a leather jacket. He certainly didn't look like your typical rich kid, though some people liked that threadbare look, she thought.

Montparnasse laughed lightly. "No, it's the other way 'round. I'm nicknamed after the place, because I spend-" He was cut off by a shout. They both looked up to find Courfeyrac standing across the street waving at them.

"Hey, 'Ponine! You're going to be late for the movies! Marius has been sulking for the past hour!" he hollered, gesturing wildly with his arms.

"Just a minute!" she yelled back, then turned to Montparnasse. "I'm sorry, I've got to run. It was nice meeting you!" She quickly grabbed her notebooks and left, dropping her sketchbook in the process.

* * *

"I don't like that guy."

Éponine laughed at Courfeyrac's statement. "You don't have to."

"Well, it's just that he seems very sketchy. Like the Mafia."

Éponine snorted. "Honestly, Courf. Listen to yourself."

Her friend blushed. "I'm just looking out for you!" he protested.

"That's not your job, Court. It's not like you're my brother." Éponine glared at him while she spoke the words.

"Thank god for that." Courfeyrac mumbled teasingly under his breath. "You're annoying enough as it is." He was interrupted when Éponine whacked his shoulder.

"My brother does not think I'm a pain in the ass"- she paused- "does he?"

Courfeyrac gestured. "Why don't you ask him?"

In the time that the two flatmates had been bickering, they had arrived at the theatre. Marius stood in front of the entrance with a dazed look in his eyes and a silly grin on his face. When he noticed his friends, Marius rushed towards them.

"I think I've seen an angel!" He exclaimed as he reached them. "A veritable angel!" Éponine and Courfeyrac stared at him blankly. "I saw her across the street just a moment ago. Chestnut hair, blue eyes, and she was so beautiful!" His explanation did nothing to remove his friends' expressions.

"Come on, guys!" Marius was pleading, as his friends' unchanging faces were beginning to agitate him. "Have you never been struck to the bone with a sudden feeling that you just know is love?"

"Woah there, Romeo! You're starting to sound like Jehan now. Besides, you know I don't do the whole 'falling in love' with people."

Éponine smiled, ready with the perfect comment. "No, you just do people."

Courfeyrac winced. "Touché. I walked right into that, didn't I." Éponine didn't comment, but her smile morphed into a full blown grin. It was Marius' turn to be confused. How were his friends so apathetic? He had likely just seen the love of his life, and they were busy... _flirting_! The thought shocked him. He did not know how he felt about his best friend and his sister together, except that they seemed rather good for each other. He contemplated the idea, then shook his head. He didn't like it, especially since they were practically _roommates_!


End file.
